Review of Hunter x Hunter

This is going to be my first review! I will try to speak in general terms but there are spoilers ranging from small to large. For this review, I'll be discussing my thoughts and ideas for some general criteria and then for each arc. Story (8/10) Most of the time when the show introduces a story element (or even a character), it's boring. The arcs dedicated to introducing story elements, Heavens Arena, and the first half of the Chimera Ant arc suffer from this especially. Most of the time, these concepts are introduced to the audience all at once which leaves them confused. Other times, theshow introduces these concepts with exposition dumps which are, again, boring.

However, what the show does well is the “journey” part of the story. Once concepts are introduced, the show does very well at using the plot elements to weave an interesting story. Thank god the show dedicates most of its run time to this side of the story. I’ve noticed that in a lot of the arcs, the show sets up “rules” or a tiered system of progression that seem very straightforward. The show is linear, but it excels at manipulating its linear paths to create an interesting story.

Art (Art 6/10, Character Design 7/10, Cinematography 5/10) 6/10
The art in the show is pretty standard. There's nothing offensively bad or overwhelmingly beautiful. With this said, during the end of the Chimera Ant arc, the show really seemed to give their animators more creative freedom. This resulted in the art playing a role in telling the story, whereas, in the rest of the show, the art merely was there to look good.

The Character Design in Hunter X Hunter is fairly good. With the sheer amount of characters in the show, it can be hard making each one distinguishable. Fortunately, the show does this well. There is a fair share of bad character designs in my opinion, but all of the main characters have good to great designs.

The cinematography in the show is fine. It’s pretty standard as far as anime goes, but there really isn’t any usage of the cinematography to tell a part of the story on its own. It gets the fundamentals right, but that's all it really needs to do in a show that is mainly plot-driven.

Sound (Music) 5/10
The music of HXH is, on its own, quite good. My biggest issue is when you have a soundtrack that is the size of a standard anime's soundtrack for a show that is the equivalent of nearly 11 standard shows. I often found myself briefly taken out of the story because the music that was playing was so overused. In certain instances, the music choice was downright inappropriate. I feel like this is the result of the soundtrack being so limited. Most of the songs are either very dramatic classical pieces, eerie villain themes, or spunky adventure music, which cannot be used in all scenarios. I would have liked to see a larger variety of songs that would be applicable to a wider array of situations. With that being said, at points, the music really does add a lot to the unfolding events of the show, and at worst briefly takes me out of the plot. 5/10

Characters 6/10
The characters in HxH are fine. Generally, the main characters are inoffensive and archetypal, which makes them rather predictable. My favorite characters, Knuckle, Meruem, and Kurapika, are fantastic characters because they undergo some kind of fundamental change. Their experiences in the show directly influence the characters they become by the series’s end. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about most of the main characters. Gon, in particular, experiences temporary changes in emotion, producing superficial emotions such as anger, sadness, grief, and excitement, but he never really grows from his experiences. Aside from the Nen and combat abilities he gains, he doesn’t really grow as a person. By the end of the show, he is the same selfless, and sometimes foolish kid as he was in episode 1. Again, characters like Knuckle and Meruem really save the show at points which is why I give this section a 6/10.

Hunter Exam Arc- 5/10
It's sort of strange writing this review nearly a year after I finished this arc. I’m sure I don’t remember everything about the arc, and I may even misremember some parts in my review, but I can pretty confidently say that it was alright.

The first few episodes introduce the main characters of the arc, and in typical HXH fashion, does so rather poorly. Leorio is introduced as a hot-headed guy during a very briefly heated fight which seemed rather forced. Kurapika is a bland character at this point, seeming like the level-headed boy scout type, and doesn’t really generate any reactions to anything beyond the words he says. Gon is introduced as a selfless, but foolish kid when he jumps off of a boat to save someone who fell overboard. He loses his footing, which is when Leorio and Kurapika grab his legs to save him. This results in the trio becoming best friends. The whole scene seemed a bit fake as a whole but it wasn’t egregious.

The rest of the arc is fine, with it at points feeling rather monotonous and linear. It eventually succeeds at establishing the main protagonists and villains and gives them compelling motives for the rest of the series. Overall it is between fine and good, and is a 5/10

Zoldyck Family Arc- 2.5/10

Unfortunately, this is the worst arc. Fortunately, this is the shortest arc. This arc primarily focused on introducing the Zoldyck family. Again, the show does not introduce things well. It's boring, and the Zoldyck family characters are, at this point, boiled-down, archetypal versions of what they will become. There is apparently some internal family conflict between Kilua and the rest of his family, as they literally kidnap him and put him into restraints, but the reason for this wasn't really obvious to me. It just seems more like a poor excuse to introduce the Zoldycks. 3/10

Heavens Arena Arc- 3/10
One of the most boring arcs in the show. Its plot is highly linear and the show doesn’t do much to twist its linear path. The main characters Gon and Kilua embark to climb the ranks of Heavens Arena to win money. It's about as boring as it sounds, especially when compared to other arcs. Each battle seems meaningless as they could only result in a temporary demotion to a lower floor. I understand that the monetary reward is very important to Gon and Kilua to purchase a copy of Greed Island, but the show never really makes it seem too important.

The Nen training scenes in this arc try to explain the aspects of Nen, Ren… I honestly lost track of all the terms. There are too many terms thrown at the audience at once, and even if I pause the show to digest each individual aspect of Nen, it really doesn’t matter. Sure the show frequently mentions the terms in the succeeding arcs. However, visual cues such as aura surrounding different parts of the main character's bodies are more than enough to convey the purpose of each move. There are boring, drawn-out scenes where the main characters do nothing but repetitive training for minutes at a time.

It's a very boring arc with some offensively bad parts, but some redeemable scenes. 3/10 overall.

Yorknew City Arc- 8/10

Yay! Finally a good arc. What I really appreciated about this arc is that it didn’t spend too much time introducing anything new. Nearly all of the characters at this point are already established, and even the Phantom Troupe has already been mentioned several times. The action in this arc is really great, and it does a good job at manipulating the “rules'' of Nen that were established in the Heavens Arena Arc.

Characters like Kurapika and Lucifer really shine through in this arc. Lucifer was an especially compelling character for me, despite his sparing presence.

I don’t really have much to say about this arc other than it is an 8.5/10

Greed Island Arc- 5/10

I don’t necessarily dislike this arc, it's just kinda pointless. From what I gathered (it's not really explicitly stated from what I remember) the game Greed Island is designed to train Gon into becoming a powerful Nen user. However, the game itself never really does much to teach Gon. Instead, Biscuit coincidentally happens to be in the game who offers to train Gon and Kilua. These scenes are by far the most boring in the entire arc, with long, drawn-out scenes of repetitive training.

The rest of the arc is fine, with most of it seeming like a rebranded Hunter Exam Arc with its tones, themes, and conflict. There aren’t necessarily stages per se but the plot is highly linear. The main villain in the arc, Genthru, really doesn’t seem all too powerful and it's kind of baffling as to how he wasn’t defeated earlier. He lacks any real personality, really no compelling motives, and he really isn’t too compelling.

At points, this arc was dull and boring but is mostly mediocre. 5.5/10

Chimera Ant Arc

For the sake of this review, I will be splitting this arc into two halves. It is a massive arc with 61 episodes, and has one discernable tone change around episode 93 when the Queen Ant dies.

Chimera Ant Arc pt. 1- 6/10

There are just so many new characters in this arc. Unfortunately, they need to be introduced. Aside from Kite, and most of the important Chimera Ants, most of the character intros seem borderline offensive to the character they are introducing. Knuckle in particular is introduced as an opponent to Gon and Kilua, and appears to be hot-headed and blunt. However, his status as an opponent is soon lifted as the audience learns of his true compassionate nature. I do not know why they decided to introduce him as a villain at first as it really doesn’t serve any purpose.

I don’t get this show’s affinity for including romance between underage characters and older ones. For whatever reason, they dedicate nearly an entire episode just so Gon (12) and Palm (22) can go on a date. It's just as pointless as it is gross as it serves no purpose later on in the series.

The action is fine. There are minor action sequences between low-tier ants and the main characters, but the battles don’t really seem all too special.

Overall, this half of the arc is fine in lots of ways and boring in others. 6/10

Chimera Ant Arc pt. 2- 9/10

The action in this section really shines through, with nearly every battle sequence carrying some weight, purpose, and meaning. The action is animated really well, and artistic moments are allowed to shine through especially in the battle between Youpie and Knuckle, which ended up being my favorite battle sequence of the entire show. The battle between Meruem and Niero was also phenomenal and it deserves all the praise it receives.

All of the characters that were previously established have important roles which I really appreciate. Additionally, this is the first time where we see our main characters, Gon and Killua, finally endure some kind of maturing change. Gon develops a more serious disposition, which physically manifests itself in some phenomenal tension building and action. Kilua also becomes more compassionate and selfless as he starts to act as Gon's protector. Their dynamic has always worked well throughout the show, and it really starts to shine in their moments together in this arc.

Of course, I can’t leave out my two favorite characters in the show, Knuckle, and Meruem. Knuckle has grown a lot since when he was first introduced, and this culminates in his battle sequence with Youpi. The hand-to-hand combat sequences are really great, but their battle is also a psychological one, which makes it even greater in my opinion. The moments before their battle ends, when Knuckle realizes he is about to die, are probably some of the best moments in the show. It's beautifully animated and captivating, giving a terrifying look into the mind of someone who is about to die. It’s fantastic.

Meruem is another character who endures tremendous growth. After being established as the merciless evil villain in the first part of the arc, he begins to display glimmers of humanity after playing Gungi with Komugi. (Quick interjection, but even the most mundane scenes between Meruem and Komugi while they are talking over a game of Gungi are fantastic and really help to develop Meruem's struggle between his humanity and his mercilessness.) These glimmers eventually manifest into affection for Komugi which gives him compassion and humanity and ultimately turns him from villain to just another character. By the end of the arc, there are no villains, which is a risky move that the show pulled off flawlessly.

I’ve noticed some people complaining about how his death was “anticlimactic” since he died from the poisonous gas released by a bomb, but I can’t help but disagree. His knowledge of his impending doom forces him to live out his last moments doing what he truly loves- playing Gungi with Komugi. In Romeo and Juliet fashion, Komugi commits suicide to be with Meruem in his final moments. The second to last episode of this arc nearly had me in tears with its closing dialogue,

“Komugi, I wanted...to spend my final moments playing against you. But this poison is contagious. If you stay near me too long, you will also...

Meruem-sama… Right now, I am very happy. I may not be worthy, but please allow me to join you.

I see… I… I believe that I was born to be here today. ...was born for this moment.

Komugi, are you still there? Yes, I sure am. I'm not going anywhere.

Komugi, are you still here?

Yes, yes... Right here.

Komugi, are you still here?

Yes, of course.

I need to take a short nap. Will you hold my hand? Komugi? Komugi, are you there?

I can hear you. I understand. Like this?

I'll wake up shortly. Will you stay by my side until I wake?

I've never left your side. I'll always be here. Komugi...

Yes, yes? What is it?

Thank you.”

Absolutely phenomenal writing.

That's about all I have to say about the arc. 9/10

13th Chairman Election Arc- 6/10

Kind of a mixed bag for me. There are two distinct plots to this arc. The first being the election of the 13th chairman, and the second being the revival of Gon.

The 13th Chairman election half of this arc was pretty bad. It was mostly the introduction of characters (presumably for future episodes), and the time it spends fleshing out the characters isn’t too great. I like nearly none of the characters who are participating in the election, nor do I care about any of them. Also, it seems so… pointless? I mean, electing the 13th chairman should be a huge deal, especially for such a massive organization as the Hunter Organization. However, it's never really established that the chairman possesses any important roles, powers, or responsibilities, so to the audience, it really seems like a meaningless title.

The Gon revival half of the arc is quite enjoyable. It has some compelling conflict and characters. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Kilua and Alluka with their unconditional sibling affection for each other. (Small nitpick but for whatever reason Illumi refers to Alluka as “he/him” whereas Kilua refers to Alluka as “she/her.” It's likely a small translation error but I figured I’d mention it.) Again, this arc does a good job of establishing rules and manipulating those rules to weave a compelling story.

13th Chairman election half- 4/10
Gon revival half 7/10
Overall- 6/10

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Taking the weighted average of each arc by episode count gives me an average score of 6.5/10 which I feel is a very fair score for the show. Arcs like the Chimera Ant and YorkNew City arc are phenomenal, while other parts are downright bad. I definitely recommend the show for these arcs specifically. The show has a lot, meaning nearly everyone can find some kind of enjoyment out of at least one section of the show. It will be interesting to see if the last manga arcs ever get adapted.